The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"Wait, I can't go yet!" I gasp, laughing, delighted that this is working out as I planned. “I'm still alive!" I turn to Jesse, buzzing with happiness and energy. "Want to take me out, cousin?"

"You're insane," Jesse murmurs, but he sighs and reaches down to take one of my pistols off the ground. "But yes, cousin, nothing would give me more pleasure."

I gasp dramatically as Jesse raises the gun and gives me a steady shot in the shoulder. I gasp, stumbling back, pretending to be grievously wounded. But then I'm laughing, dashing forward and taking Jackson's hand as he snarls and pulls me to his side.

"This really is crazy," he murmurs, beaming down at me as Jesse turns towards his shocked troops and starts to shout out orders. "There's going to be hell to pay for this."

"I said I wasn't going into battle without you," I reply, stepping close and smiling up at him. I shrug. "They should have listened."

“Oh, get out of here, you ghosts," Tony says, laughing and giving me a little shove. "The rest of us have work to do."

"Don't lose!" Jackson calls, tugging me with him as he turns away towards the check-point at the back of the base. "Follow the plan - it's a good one -you should -"

"Go on, McClintock!" Jesse shouts. I turn for a second to see him grinning at us, waving as we go. "I'm in charge now!"

"They're doomed," Jackson murmurs as I turn back to him and we head through the woods.noveldrama

"Oh, who cares," I sigh, pressing myself closer to his side than I probably should. "Let's go hang out."

About thirty minutes later we're back at the school after a fairly awkward helicopter ride with Blythe and two more Cadets I don't know. Blythe just gaped at me as Jackson and I climbed into the helicopter, clearly not understanding what the hell my motives were in taking him out only to die so soon.

But I just glared at him right back and don't say a word, remembering what he said about Juniper. Mind to mind, I passed Jackson the information about what Blythe said. Jackson went rigid and then turned a ferocious snarl Blythe's way, ready to rip him to pieces.

It gave me a great deal of pleasure to see each and every drop of blood drain out of Blythe's face.

But that pleasure quickly drains from me as we disembark the helicopter and Jackson and I go our own way, because I still have a great deal more to do today.

Well, tonight. Today I imagine the

people I want to have important

conversations with will be bus

the Games. But still, there's a great deal to prepare for tonight.

Jackson walks quietly at my side during our traverse through the castle and back to our room. But when we get inside, he quietly takes my hand and turns me to him.

"Why didn't you tell me, Ari?" he asks, frowning down into my face. "I could have helped you with this."

"It was mine to do, Jacks," I say, raising my chin and squeezing his hand. "I kind of needed this to not be a Team Sinclair sort of thing. I needed it to be mine."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "But aren't we a team? You and me?"

I step close to him, looking quietly up into his face. "We are," I say, meaning it with my whole heart. "But when you and I are a team, Jacks... think sometimes people just see you, and don't notice lil ole me

standing there at your side.

He growls a little at the idea. "Only fools would make that mistake," he says, raising a hand to my cheek.

"Yeah, well," I say with a sigh. "World is full of a lot of fools."

"And you've thought about the consequences of this?" he asks quietly. "The Captain is going to flip At best you're going to lose your status as his little pet sniper, his favorite student. At worse, you'll get

kicked out of school."

I take another step closer, wrapping my arms around his waist, resting my chin on his chest as I look up at him. "I won't get kicked out of school."

"How do you know that?" he murmurs, knocking my cap off and stroking a hand over my braided hair.